Catherine shares adorable new photo of Prince Louis for his 5th birthday with touching similarities to both his grandfathers

Today, April 23, is the birthday of Prince Louis. The youngest child of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, turns five today and Catherine shared a lovely snap of the pair of them playing out in the garden. In one of the pictures, Louis is seen sat in a wheelbarrow.

• Prince Louis turns five today, and Princess Catherine has shared lovely new photos to celebrate
• Everyone in the comments agree that Louis is the double of Catherine’s dad, Michael Middleton, but there’s a cute connection to King Charles in the photos, too
• In other royal news, Prince William and Princess Catherine’s tribute to Queen Elizabeth showcases sweet bond with young royals in special new photo

A beaming Prince Louis has been photographed being pushed in a wheelbarrow by his mother, Princess Catherine, to celebrate the little royal’s fifth birthday.

Thought to have been taken at their home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor's Home Park, the photos show mom and son in relaxed jumpers and both looking delighted to be out in nature.

That was, after all, part of William and Kate’s decision to leave London in the first place, moving to somewhere where their children could have a more normal life and get to play around outside.

While the little prince looks ecstatic to just be messing about in the gardens, he’s going to have a much more serious afternoon soon. Louis is expected to accompany his siblings in the procession from Westminster Abbey which will follow the King's Coronation on May 6, according to reports.

It’s a big step up for the fast-growing little one, and marks one of his first formal appearances. He was not at the Queen's state funeral in September 2022 after he was deemed too young to attend the service with his parents.

The photos shared to the official Instagram account of the Prince and Princess of Wales have proven hugely popular already, amassing just shy of one million likes in less than a day – and the comments from fans are all pointing out the same thing.

“I think he looks so much like his grandfather Middleton,” one wrote. Another shared the sentiment, “He looks exactly like Kate’s Dad.”

While many are suggesting he is the “Double of his Maternal Grandfather,” there’s actually a sweet connection to Charles in the photo also.

First, there’s the fact that he’s playing around in a gardening wheelbarrow filled with plants and soil. Charles is a known avid gardener – with Highgrove Gardens one of his pride and joys - and a love of nature and the importance of the environment is something he passed down to his sons, William and Harry.

Will Louis get the green-fingered gene, too?

A further touching connection in the photo is the similarities it bears to a mostly forgotten image of Prince Philip pulling a young Charles in a similar wheelbarrow.

The image came from the BBC Archives and shows the royals in a different light – Philip was just another young father enjoying some time outside with his son.